This weekend marks a critical point for an elite Club of One in the greatest individual award in all of sports. Johnny Manziel, the best player in college football, is two games from joining Archie Griffin as the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy.

All he has to do is lead Texas A&M to road victories over ranked teams LSU and Missouri, and his two-year supernova career will be complete.

“If there’s a better player in college football,” says LSU coach Les Miles, “I’d like to know who he is.”

There isn’t. In fact, it’s not close. But there’s a hitch: Like it or not — fair or not — Manziel’s team is holding him back from joining Griffin in the elite Heisman club.

That’s right, it seems the greatest individual award in all of sport now has a proviso: your team has to be among the nation’s elite. And for all of Manziel’s magic, the Aggies could finish as low as fourth in the SEC West Division.

That’s why the next two games are so critical for Manziel. Wins over LSU and Missouri would assure the Aggies of a top 10 ranking, and bolster his resume as the player who was so good, he carried a team that had no business among the game’s elite (with that awful defense) all the way into the top 10. Again.

This award isn’t just about the best player (he most certainly is); it’s about the best statistics and playing well in big games and who means the most to his team. The Aggies lose — minimum — four games last year without Manziel. They lose — minimum — four games this fall without him.

That’s eight games, people. That’s enough to get a coach fired.

If that makes Manziel the most valuable player, or the most outstanding player (as they foolishly say in the NCAA tournament), or whatever you want to call it, so be it.

Griffin won the award in back-to-back seasons in 1974-75, and there have been seven opportunities since for a winner to repeat. The closest anyone came was Tim Tebow in 2008 — and he finished third (Oklahoma’s Billy Sims was second in 1979, but had half the votes of winner Charles White).

And if we look closely at the 2008 race, it could mirror this race. Tebow — a galvanizing personality one way or the other (sound familiar, Johnny Look At Me?) — had more first place votes than winner Sam Bradford but was inexplicably left off 154 ballots. That allowed Bradford to win a close race — and also allowed Colt McCoy to finish second.

Manziel’s biggest competition isn’t mercurial Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston (who has his own issues; more on that later) or the career vote to Alabama’s AJ McCarron. It’s the final two games of the season.

Play big and lead the Aggies to two big road wins, and there will be no denying it. The best player in college football will tie the unbreakable record.

There's no debate that Johnny Manziel is the nation's top player, but too many losses could cost him the Heisman. (AP Photo)

2. The Big O

You know, West Virginia once made a decision based on emotion. Tread lightly, USC.

Take a chance and hire Ed Orgeron, or pat him on the back, thank him for his loyalty and hard work at such a critical point in USC football, and do everything in your power to help him land another head coaching job.

It’s not a one-day decision. Good fortune willing, it’s a 10-year decision.

3. Head of the class

We’re knee-deep in arguing about the BCS National Championship race and the Heisman Trophy and we’ve lost sight of another important race: the coach of the year.

Good luck choosing this one. Among the candidates (in alphabetical order):

— Art Briles, Baylor: No matter what happens this weekend at Oklahoma State — Baylor’s biggest test this season — what Briles has accomplished in Waco is nothing short of spectacular. This isn’t the big money and tradition of Texas and Oklahoma, this is small, zero championship swagger, afterthought, private school Baylor. Now it’s a destination job, full of multi-million dollar facilities and elite players. Three years ago Baylor was nearly pushed out of the Big 12 during conference realignment; now Baylor is the Big 12’s best hope.

— David Cutcliffe, Duke: The Blue Devils are two wins (Wake Forest and North Carolina) from winning the ACC Coastal Division. Let that sink in for a moment. It was only three weeks ago that Duke became bowl eligible for the second straight season — a first ever at the school. With those two wins, Duke has 10 for the season — another first in school history.

— Jimbo Fisher, Florida State: For the first time in more than a decade, FSU is relevant again in the national championship race. This has been three years in the making for Fisher, who has recruited and built this program with the blueprint his mentor, Nick Saban, gave him. The argument isn’t lessened because he has an elite quarterback like Jameis Winston. He recruited Winston, he developed him. The argument is strengthened because of Winston.

— Gus Malzahn, Auburn: Inherited a dysfunctional and desperate 3-9 team, and already has more wins this fall (10) than Auburn had losses last season. With a victory over Alabama, Auburn can win the SEC West and advance to the conference championship game.

— Urban Meyer, Ohio State: Yes, Ohio State hasn’t played a team of significance in two years. Yes, the Buckeyes have rolled through a watered-down Big Ten. But perhaps we’ve forgotten just how unhinged the program had become when Luke Fickell was trying to hold it all together. One more thing: winning 22 straight games in <I>any</I> league is nearly impossible. If the Buckeyes win out, how do you not vote for a guy who is 25-0 over the last two years?

— Gary Pinkel, Missouri: Year 1 in the SEC was brutal; much of it because of injuries, some of it because of Pinkel’s own hand (his handling of QB James Franklin’s injury was abysmal). But for a missed gimme putt field goal, Mizzou could be unbeaten heading into a critical two-game stretch. Win at Ole Miss this week and the home finale against Texas A&M, and the Tigers win the East Division and the turnaround from 5-7 to 11-1 is COY material in anyone’s book.

4. Pick a reason, any reason

First, there was the Big Ten is much better than you think argument.

Then there was the Wisconsin argument: the Badgers are one blown call by Pac-12 officials from being a one-loss team — and, that’s right, Ohio State beat Wisconsin (which just so happens to also play in the Big Ten).

Recently, it turned to this: if Ohio State and Baylor win out — and one of the top two teams in the current BCS poll loses — Ohio State should advance to the BCS National Championship Game over Baylor because of its — I can’t believe I’m typing this — “brand name.”

Finally, we have this: Ohio State coach Urban Meyer says the BCS is a “flawed system.”

The same “flawed system” that gave Meyer and his Florida team two chances to win the national championship (2006 and 2008) when other teams had legitimate arguments to play in the game.

The same system that has made a king of Alabama coach Nick Saban, who has won three of his four BCS national championships because the “flawed system” gave his LSU team (2003) and two Alabama teams (2011, 2012) a spot in the championship game over other teams that also deserved a shot.

Stick to the Wisconsin argument, people. It at least sounds remotely intelligent.

2. Dodgeball: Or what’s commonly known as warmups for Oklahoma quarterbacks.

3. Everyone: “Marco!!!!” SEC: “Polo.”

4. Hide and Seek: Pssssst, Mr. Haden … he’s in Boise.

5. Sharks and minnows: Alabama vs. The Field.

6. Next up?

Let me introduce you to Sean Maguire, a player who means nothing to you unless the assistant state attorney in Tallahassee decides he does.

By that I mean, unless authorities bring charges against FSU quarterback Jameis Winston for his alleged role in a sexual battery incident from December 2012. Because if Winston is charged — and assistant state attorney Willie Meggs says he could have a decision as soon as a week or two — he immediately is suspended by university code.

That means Maguire, who was recruited in the same class as Winston just in case, becomes the most important player on the FSU team. Don’t think for a moment this potential worst-case scenario hasn’t already been dissected by the FSU staff.

That was Maguire last weekend, playing in the third quarter of the Syracuse blowout — but with the first team offense around him. This wasn’t garbage time; wasn’t Maguire playing out the string with second teamers and walk-ons.

These were quality repetitions with the first team, including the first touchdown pass of his career to tight end Nick O’Leary. Three weeks ago, Maguire attempting a pass in a game would have been laughable.

But as these things seemingly always play out, a week after FSU announced top backup Jacob Coker — who nearly won the job in fall camp — sustained a knee injury and would be lost for the season, the news on Winston broke.

If that news becomes an actual charge against Winston, Maguire will go from not throwing a pass — maybe ever at FSU — to leading a national championship-caliber team.

8. The Inglorious Five

It’s all about championships and big wins and individual awards and highlight replays well past midnight and into Sunday morning.

Then there’s this: UConn, Miami (OH), Hawaii, Southern Miss and Georgia State have yet to win this season.

I’m not exactly sure, but that has to be some kind of record this late in the season. And here’s the scary part: all five may not win another game.

Where it could all end for the Inglorious Five:

— UConn: this weekend at Temple. If ever there were a time to get Temple — can you believe this is actually a thought process? — it’s after a gut-wrenching loss to UCF. You don’t give up two huge pass plays like Temple did, come back the following week and get juiced to play a team that hasn’t been remotely competitive in a month.

— Miami (OH): Not happening. In fact, that’s a guarantee. After last night’s loss to Buffalo, the Red Hawks have one game remaining: at Ball State, which will be playing for its 10th win of the season.

— Hawaii: A long month of travel ends this weekend at Wyoming. In the last four weeks, Hawaii will have played at Utah State (Mountain time zone), at Navy (Eastern time zone), San Diego State (Hawaii-Aleutian time zone) and Wyoming (Mountain time zone). If the Warriors have the legs on Nov. 30, Army comes to town for their last shot at victory.

— Southern Miss: There are positives: for the second straight week, USM didn’t give up more than 50 points (like the Eagles did the previous three weeks). Other than that, it’s Middle Tennessee this weekend (forget it), and UAB on Nov. 30. The same UAB that two years ago, when Southern Miss won C-USA, beat the Eagles 34-31 — and has won four in a row in the series.

— Georgia State. The transitional FBS program has a built-in excuse. That doesn’t mean this week’s Arkansas State game won’t get ugly, and doesn’t mean losing to one-time FBS transitional team South Alabama on Nov. 30 will feel any better.

9. The BCS vs. the Playoff

So we’re knee-deep in the final season of the BCS, and already we’re hearing the carping and complaining for the College Football Playoff, and how this fall would be much better if only the “playoff” were used now.

Because there would be zero controversy, right?

Let me introduce you to No. 5 in the BCS poll: Oregon. The Ducks are the perfect example of what the “playoff” committee is all about.

Oregon lost to Stanford earlier this month, and the Ducks played the game with star QB Marcus Mariota nursing an injured knee. The injury clearly affected the Oregon offense, and could easily be seen as the significant factor in the Ducks’ loss.

Now, take a look at Nos. 3 and 4 in the current BCS poll. Does Oregon, with a healthy Mariota, deserve a spot in the “playoff” ahead of Ohio State or Baylor? The Ducks not only have played a tougher schedule, they have better wins.